Rome, Georgia

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Rome, Georgia, USA
Aerial view of downtown Rome
Location in Floyd County and the state of Georgia
Coordinates: 34°15′36″N 85°11′6″W / 34.26, -85.185
Country	United States
State	Georgia
County	Floyd
Government
- Mayor	Wright Bagby
- City Manager	John Bennett
Area
- Total	29.8 sq mi (77.3 km²)
- Land	29.4 sq mi (76.1 km²)
- Water	0.5 sq mi (1.2 km²)
Elevation	614 ft (187 m)
Population (2000)
- Total	34,980
- Density	1,190.5/sq mi (459.7/km²)
Time zone	EST (UTC-5)
- Summer (DST)	EDT (UTC-4)
Area code(s)	706
FIPS code	13-66668[1]
GNIS feature ID	0356504[2]
Website: http://www.romega.us/

Nestled in the foothills of the Appalachian Mountains, Rome is the largest city and the county seat of Floyd County, Georgia, United States. It is the principal city of the Rome, Georgia Metropolitan Statistical Area which encompasses all of Floyd County. As of the 2000 census, the city had a total population of 34,980,^[1] and is the largest city in Northwest Georgia.

Though no Interstate highway passes through Rome, it is the largest city near the center of the triangular area defined by the Interstate highways between Atlanta, Birmingham, and Chattanooga, which contributes to its importance as a regional center in several areas, such as medical care and education.

Rome's name is a commemoration of the Italian city of Rome. Rome, Georgia, was built on seven hills with a river running between them, a feature that was an inspiration for the name. This connection is emphasized by a replica of the statue of Romulus and Remus nursing from a mother wolf, a symbol of the original Rome, which was a 1929 gift from the Italian dictator Benito Mussolini.^[3]

[edit] Geography

Location of Rome and major highways

Rome's 7 Hills and 3 Rivers

Rome is located at 34°15'36" North, 85°11'6" West (34.259893, -85.185037)^[4] in Floyd County. The city is at the confluence of the Etowah River and the Oostanaula River — the two rivers that form the Coosa River. The closest confluence of latitude and longitude is 34°N 85°W, about 20 miles South-Southeast of Rome.^[5]

The seven hills that inspired the name of Rome are Blossom Hill, Jackson Hill, Lumpkin Hill, Mount Aventine Hill, Myrtle Hill, Shorter Hill (now known as Old Shorter Hill), and Tower Hill (also known as Clock Tower Hill). Some of the hills have been partially graded since Rome was founded.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 29.8 square miles (77.3 km²), of which, 29.4 square miles (76.1 km²) of it is land and 0.5 square miles (1.2 km²) of it is water. The total area is 1.54% water.

[edit] History

Native American territories in the Southeastern area of North America in 1715. State outlines are from later times.

There is some debate over whether Hernando de Soto was the first Spanish conquistador to encounter Native Americans in the area now known as Rome, but it is usually agreed that he passed through the region with his expedition in 1540.^[6] In 1560, Tristán de Luna sent a detachment of 140 soldiers and two Dominican friars north along de Soto's route, and it is this group that established true relations with the Coosa chiefdom as they assisted the Coosa in a raid against the rebellious province of Napochín, in what is now known as Tennessee.^[7] Exposed to unfamiliar European diseases, within 20 years the Mound Builders were gone, replaced by the Creek.^[8]

The Abihka tribe of Creek in the area of Rome later became part of the Upper Creek, and merged with other tribes to become the Ulibahalis, who later migrated westerward into Alabama in the general region of Gadsden,^[9][10] and were replaced by the Cherokee in the mid-1700s.

Georgia colony, 1732-1777, and the Proclamation Line of 1763.

The Cherokee referred to the area that would become Rome as "Head of Coosa", and it eventually became home to several Cherokee leaders, including Chiefs Major Ridge and John Ross. Ridge's home here was known for years as Chieftains House, and is now Chieftains Museum.

In the late 1700s, a high demand in Europe for American deer skins had led to a brisk trade between Indian hunters and white traders, and as a result, a few white traders and some settlers were accepted by the Head of Coosa Cherokee. These were later joined by missionaries, and then more settlers, primarily from the British Colony of Georgia.

1802 map of Georgia-Yazoo lands. The triangular section labeled "Assigned to Georgia 1802" was Cherokee land claimed as part of the Compact of 1802 between Georgia and the United States.

In 1792, in response to a Cherokee raid into Tennessee, John Sevier, the Governor of Tennessee, led a retaliatory raid against the Cherokee here and fought a battle in the vicinity of Myrtle Hill.^[11] In 1802, the United States and Georgia executed the Compact of 1802 in which Georgia sold its claimed Western lands to the United States and the United States agreed to ignore Cherokee land titles and remove all Cherokee from Georgia. The commitment to evict the Cherokee was not immediately enforced and Chiefs John Ross and Major Ridge lead efforts to stop their removal, including several Federal lawsuits.

During the 1813 Creek Civil War, most Cherokee took the side of the Upper Creek Indians against the Red Stick Creek Indians. Before they moved to Head of Coosa, Chief Ridge commanded a company of Cherokee warriors as a unit of the Tennessee militia and Chief Ross served as the adjutant. This unit was under the overall command of Andrew Jackson in support of the Upper Creek.

1822 map of Cherokee lands in Georgia

In 1829, gold was discovered near Dahlonega, Georgia, starting the first gold rush in the United States. The Indian Removal Act of 1830 to fulfill the Compact of 1802 was a direct result of this, and Georgia's General Assembly passed legislation in 1831 that claimed all Cherokee land in Northwest Georgia. This entire territory was called called Cherokee County until additional legislation in 1832 divided the territory into the nine counties that exist today.^[12][13]

In 1834, the city of Rome was founded by Col. Daniel R. Mitchell, Col. Zacharia Hargrove, Maj. Philip Hemphill, Col. William Smith, and Mr. John Lumpkin (nephew of Governor Lumpkin), who determined the name for the new city by holding a drawing. They each put their choice in a hat, with Col. Mitchell submitting the name of Rome because of the area's hills and rivers, and that was the name selected. The Georgia Legislature made Rome an official city in 1835, and the County Seat was moved East from the village of Livingston to Rome.^[14]

With the entire area still occupied primarily by Cherokee, the city served the agrarian needs of the new cotton-based economy that had begun to replace deer-skin trading after the invention of the cotton gin. The first steamboat came up the Coosa River to Rome in 1836, reducing the time-to-market for the cotton trade and speeding travel between Rome and the Gulf Coast.

By 1838 the Cherokee had run out of legal options, and were the last of the major tribes to be forcibly moved to the Indian Territories (in modern-day Oklahoma) on the Trail of Tears. After the removal of the Cherokee, their homes and businesses were taken over by whites, and the Roman economy continued to grow. In 1849 an 18 mile rail spur to Kingston was completed, significantly improving transportation to the East.^[15]

Rome in 1864, during the occupation by Union forces.

In April 1863, during the U.S. Civil War, the city was defended by Nathan Bedford Forrest against Abel Streight's "lightning mule" raid from the area east of modern day Cedar Bluff, Alabama.^[16] General Forrest tricked Colonel Streight into surrendering just a few miles shy of Rome. Realizing their vulnerability, Rome's city council allocated $3,000 to build three forts, and they became operational by October, though strengthening of the forts continued after that. These forts were named after Romans who had been killed in action: Fort Attaway was on the West bank of the Oostanaula River, Fort Norton was on the East bank of the Oostanaula, and Fort Stovall was on the South bank of the Etowah River. At least one other fort was later built on the North side of the Coosa River.^[17][18]

In May 1864, Union General Jefferson C. Davis captured Rome --a major target during the Atlanta campaign-- as the outflanked Confederate army retreated under command of Major General Samuel Gibbs French^[19][20]. After destroying the iron works and other material that could be useful to the South's war effort, Davis' forces withdrew from Rome.

By the Oostanaula River, the Historic Floyd County Courthouse with its spire (left) and the Clock Tower (right).

In 1871, Rome's Clock Tower was constructed as a water tank on Tower Hill, overlooking downtown, and ever since has served as the town's iconic landmark, appearing in the city's crest and local business logos.

With two rivers merging to form a third, Rome has occasionally been subjected to serious flooding. The first severe flood after Rome became a city was the flood of 1886, which inundated the city and allowed a steamboat to travel down Broad Street.^[21] In 1891, upon recommendation of the United States Corps of Engineers, the Georgia State Legislature amended Rome's charter to create a commission to oversee the construction of river levees to protect the town against future floods.^[22] In the late 1890s, additional flood-control measures included raising the height of Broad Street by about 15 feet (one story), so that what is now the below-ground basement of many of the old buildings is what was originally the first floor. ^[23]

Rome has many historic homes and businesses, and the traditional marquees of Broad Street are reminiscent of many decades of downtown growth.

[edit] Sites on the National Register of Historic Places

[edit] Demographics

The statue of Romulus and Remus nursing from a mother wolf, a gift to Rome from Mussolini.

As of the census^[1] of 2000, there were 34,980 people, 13,320 households, and 8,431 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,190.5 people per square mile (459.7/km²). There were 14,508 housing units at an average density of 493.7/sq mi (190.7/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 63.12% White, 27.66% African American, 1.42% Asian, 0.39% Native American, 0.16% Pacific Islander, 5.61% from other races, and 1.64% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 10.35% of the population.

There were 13,320 households of which 29.1% had children under the age of 18 living in them, 41.2% were married couples living together, 17.0% had a female householder with no husband present, wend 36.7% are non-families. 30.9% of all households were made up of individuals and 14.1% have someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.47 and the average family size was 3.07.

In the city the population was spread out with 24.2% under the age of 18, 12.1% from 18 to 24, 27.7% from 25 to 44, 20.1% from 45 to 64, and 15.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 35 years. For every 100 females there were 90.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 86.2 males.

The median income of a household in the city was $30,930, and the median income of a family was $37,775. Males had a median income of $30,179 versus $22,421 for females. The per capita income for the city was $17,327. About 15.3% of families and 20.3% of the population were below the poverty line, including 29.1% of those under the age of 18 and 16.3% of those 65 and older.

[edit] Economy

Rome's Clock Tower at night

Rome has always had the strength of economic diversity,^[25] and recent additions to Rome's industries include Brugg Cable and Telecom,^[26] Suzuki Manufacturing of America,^[27] and automobile-parts makers Neaton Rome^[28] and F+G Georgia.^[29] The most prominent of the new additions is the North American headquarters of Pirelli Tire.^[30]

In the world of professional sports, the city is home to the Rome Braves baseball club of the South Atlantic League and the Rome Gladiators of the World Basketball Association.

Rome is also well known in the region for its medical facilities, particularly Floyd Medical Center^[31], Redmond Regional Medical Center^[32], and the Harbin Clinic^[33].

In the 1960s, the Rome Plow Company produced the Rome plows (large, armored vehicles used by the U.S. Military to clear jungles during the Vietnam War), and a General Electric plant was established to build medium transformers.

Also in the later part of the 20th century, many carpet mills prospered in the Rome area.

[edit] Education

Reflecting its function as a regional center, Rome is home to four colleges:
 

Rome's public school system administers Rome High School and a variety of elementary and middle schools. In addition, Rome is home to Darlington, an independent preparatory school in operation for over 100 years, on a campus of over 500 acres.

[edit] Media

[edit] Newspapers

• Rome News Tribune
• The Periscope, Shorter College
• The Campus Carrier, Berry College

[edit] Radio stations

[edit] Notable residents

• Arn Anderson (1958- ), professional wrestler
• Bill Arp (birth name Charles H. Smith) (1826-1903), Rome mayor and 19th century writer
• Martha M. Berry (1865-1942), educator
• Marcus Dixon (1984- ), American football player
• Ray Donaldson (1958- ), American football player
• Charles H. Fahy (1892-1979), U.S. Solicitor General and Navy Cross recipient
• John H. Lumpkin (1812-1860), Co-founder of Rome, Superior Court Judge, and U.S. Representative
• Homer V. M. Miller (1814-1896), U.S. Senator, senior Confederate medical officer
• Ma Rainey (1886-1939), early professional blues singer
• Dan Reeves (1944- ), American football player and head coach
• Major Ridge (c.1771-1839), Cherokee Indian Chief and co-signer of the Treaty of New Echota
• John Ross (1790-1866), Principal Chief of the United Cherokee Nation
• John H. Towers (1885-1955), U.S. Navy admiral and pioneer naval aviator
• Stand Watie (1806-1871), Cherokee Indian leader and Confederate general
• Calder Willingham (1922-1995), screenwriter and novelist
• Ellen L. A. Wilson (1860-1914), First Lady of the United States and first wife of President Woodrow Wilson

[edit] Gallery

Downtown Rome, with the Courthouse in the background.	The landmark Clock Tower on one of Rome's hills.	Historic Floyd County Courthouse.	Rome Area History Museum displays history of Rome and Floyd County from Cherokee Indians to present.
Rome City Hall and Auditorium. The statue of wolf, Romulus and Remus in front of the building.	The waterwheel of the Berry Schools' Old Mill.

[edit] References and notes

1. ^ ^{a b c} American FactFinder. United States Census Bureau. Retrieved on 2008-01-31.
2. ^ US Board on Geographic Names. United States Geological Survey (2007-10-25). Retrieved on 2008-01-31.
3. ^ UGA article on statue of Romulus and Remus
4. ^ US Gazetteer files: 2000 and 1990. United States Census Bureau (2005-05-03). Retrieved on 2008-01-31.
5. ^ Closest confluence of Latitude and Longitude
6. ^ FloridaHistory.com: Article on De Soto's trail through North Georgia.
7. ^ Our Georgia History: Article on Tristan de Luna's trail through North Georgia.
8. ^ New Georgia Encyclopedia: Article on De Soto and De Luna's explorations in Georgia.
9. ^ Waselkov, Gregory A. and Marvin T. Smith "Upper Creek Archaeology" in McEwan, Bonnie G., ed. Indians of the Greater Southeast: Historical Archaeology and Ethnohistory (Gainsville: University of Florida Press, 2000) p. 244-245
10. ^ Ethridge, Robbie Franklyn "Creek Country: The Creek Indians and Their World" (Chapel Hill, NC: UNC Press) p. 27
11. ^ Roadside Georgia: Article mentioning the Sevier raid against the Cherokee.
12. ^ Historical Atlas of Georgia Counties: Cherokee Territory/County
13. ^ Act Dividing Original Cherokee County
14. ^ RomeGeorgia.com Article discussing the founding of Rome.
15. ^ Roadside Georgia: Article mentioning Rome's first rail spur.
16. ^ http://ngeorgia.com/history/lightningmule.html About North Georgia]: Article about the raid of the Lightning Mule Brigade
17. ^ RomeGeorgia.com: Article on the history of Rome's forts.
18. ^ Roadside Georgia: Article briefly discussing 3 forts built in Rome during the Civil War.
19. ^ The Life of Ulysses S. Grant by Charles A. Dana and J. H. Wilson, Gurdon Bill & Company, 1868, Page 275.
20. ^ FindAGrave entry for General French
21. ^ Roadside Georgia: Article mentioning the flood of 1886.
22. ^ Acts Passed by the General Assembly of Georgia, Volume II. Atlanta Georgia, Geo. W. Harrison, State Printer (Franklin Publishing House) 1892: Creating Levee Commission for Rome, Etc. No. 625 (pages 585-590).
23. ^ RomeGeorgia.com: Article mentioning the raising of Broad Street.
24. ^ National Register of Historic Places National Park Service
25. ^ New Georgia Encyclopedia article
26. ^ Brugg Cable & Telecom
27. ^ Suzuki Manufacturing
28. ^ Neaton Manufacturing
29. ^ F+G Manufacturing
30. ^ Pirelli Tire Manufacturing
31. ^ Floyd Medical Center
32. ^ Redmond Regional Medical Center
33. ^ The Harbin Clinic

[edit] External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to:

Rome, Georgia

• Chieftan Museum web site
• City of Rome web site
• Greater Rome Convention & Visitors Bureau web site
• New Georgia Encyclopedia entry
• Rome Area Council for the Arts web site
• Rome Area History Museum web site
• Rome Chamber of Commerce web site
• Rome International Film Festival web site

[edit] Further reading

Rome history

• Desmond, Jerry R. (2008) "Georgia's Rome: A Brief History", Charleston: The History Press. [1]

• Rome, Georgia is at coordinates 34°15′36″N 85°11′06″W / 34.259893, -85.185037 (Rome, Georgia)Coordinates: 34°15′36″N 85°11′06″W / 34.259893, -85.185037 (Rome, Georgia)

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